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by ChemicalCinderCat



Series: Beetlejuice Stories [1]
Category: Beetlejuice (TV 1989)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Protection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:20:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22613191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChemicalCinderCat/pseuds/ChemicalCinderCat
Summary: Takes place during the episode, Worm Welcome. Lydia gets attacked by a sandworm, and summons Beetlejuice to protect her......But he doesn't come.
Relationships: Beetlejuice & Lydia Deetz
Series: Beetlejuice Stories [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1721896
Comments: 1
Kudos: 44





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**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I promise it's not quite as dark as the summary makes it sound. I wrote this almost a year ago, but I'm new to this site, so please let me know what you think! I'm always open for some construction criticism! :)

Lydia was taking a walk through the woods. She was determined. Earlier that day, she had found a baby sandworm being hunted in the woods. She knew that she couldn't just stand by and let them kill it, but Beetlejuice wouldn't help her. 

"Please, please Beetlejuice! I know sandworms are mean, but it's just a baby! It didn't do anything wrong yet!" Lydia had begged him. Yet still he refused. 

"Lyds, I know ya wanna help it 'cuz it's a baby, but if we let them kill it now it won't be able to do anything wrong. Sandworms are vicious monsters! I can't help something like that!"

Lydia decided not to tell him she had decided to help the sandworm on her own. It would just start an unnecessary argument, because nothing was going to change her mind at this point. She had equipped herself with some Worm Your Way spray, and had set out after it. She'd be extra careful, and use the spray immediately so that the sandworm knew she was friendly.

Suddenly Lydia heard a growl from behind her. She whirled around to come face to face with the little baby sandworm she was trying to save. Except, close up, it didn't look so little. It loomed over top of her, with its sickening yellow teeth showing. Lydia wasted no time in taking out her Worm Your Way spray and sending a cloud of it to the baby sandworm, but that didn't do anything. In fact, it seemed to make the sandworm even more hostile. 

Lydia slowly started backwards, until her back hit the bottom of a cliff and the spray bottle fell out of her hands, breaking open and allowing the spray itself to get everywhere. Now Lydia was truly afraid. The sandworm seemed to get taller, and it approached her slowly like a predator approaching it's trapped prey.

Lydia hadn't wanted to involve Beetlejuice. She was stubborn, and wanted to prove that he couldn't control her, and she could take care of herself. Now Lydia realized she didn't have any other options. She squeezed her eyes shut in fear, and did the only thing she could think of.

"Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!" She called. Everything would be fine. When she opened her eyes, her best friend would be there to whisk away the evil sandworm, and Lydia would be just fine. She opened her eyes, completely expecting Beetlejuice to be there, ready to protect her.  
He was not.  
Lydia looked around frantically. Beetlejuice was nowhere in sight. She had called him, right? She'd remembered to say it three times? Maybe she didn't say it out loud? Lydua decided to try again, telling herself that somehow the universe had made a small mistake, and if she called him again everything would be fine.

"Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!?" Lydia tried again, a little more panicked and frantic. Still, nothing happened.  
Why can't I call him?!?!

"Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!" The crowd chanted, their chants lifting up Beetlejuice's spirits. Earlier that day, the Ghost With the Most had saved the Neitherworld from a sandworm attack. The only reason the sandworm was there in the first place was thanks to Beetlejuice, but the citizens didn't need to know that. Now, he was basking in their praise, enjoying every ounce of appreciation he could get. It wasn't that he never got praised; Lydia praised him all the time. It was just that Beetlejuice was like a toddler, he constantly craved attention. And usually the people in the Neitherworld weren't exactly Beetlejuice's biggest fans, so the fact that it was them praising him was very special.

The only problem was that Beetlejuice was so busy letting them worship him, he didn't realize that he was being summoned by Lydia. Every time she called for him, it did in fact bring him to where she was in the woods, but then the chants of the Netherworld folk brought him right back, all without him even noticing.

It wasn't until the truth came out about the Worm Your Way spray, that Beetlejuice thought of his best friend. Suddenly, he realized that Lydia would go after the creature by herself, all because Beetlejuice was refusing to help her. His heart skipped a beat when he thought of what Lydia might be facing at that moment.  
"LYDIA!!!"

Lydia was alone. Utterly alone. At first she had wanted it that way. She wanted to be alone, to be the only one who saved the sandworm, to be a hero. Now, she realized just how much of an idiot she was to think that.

Everything was going wrong. The Worm Your Way spray was just making things worse, Beetlejuice wasn't coming to help, and Lydia knew she was going to die. While before she met Beetlejuice, she would've been fine with that, he had changed her life and gave it meaning. He gave her a reason to cherish her life instead of throw it all away, and knowing it would all be over soon and she couldn't do anything about it made her angry. She didn't want to die! She wanted to live, to go on more adventures with Beetlejuice. She wanted see him tear apart this sandworm limb from limb that dared to attack her. She wanted Beetlejuice to hold her, because she was scared, and she was certain the moment she saw him her legs would give out. 

Lydia closed her eyes as the sandworm started to lunge at her. She wasn't giving up, even if it was for nothing, even if he didn't come and she died right there, she would scream his name until she died. Lydia took a deep breath.

"BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE BEETLE-"

"Gosh, babes, I'm honored and all, but ya only have to say it 3 times. Don't ware it out!"

Lydia didn't even dare open her eyes at first, for fear that it was all a dream, a trick, a lie. Then, slowly, she opened her eyes to see the familiar striped jacket she loved so much. She looked at Beetlejuice and immediately started crying. The sandworm was gone, but that didn't matter, what mattered was that-

"Y-you're h-here!" Lydia sobbed as she practically tackled Beetlejuice in a hug. Beetlejuice was shocked, but quickly held her tight as she trembled in his arms.

"Well, uh, yeah Babes, where else would I be?"

"I...I called f-for you, a-and you didn't come, and I was s-so scared, and, a-and-" Lydia blubbered. Beetlejuice cut her off by squeezing her lightly and rubbing her back.

"Shhh, babes, I got you now. I'm here, and I'll always be here. Right by your side."


End file.
